Treadle mechanism.



J. A. BYERS.

TREADLE MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1911.

1,036,559 Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

I 1 avwmto a driven by the operators feet, and especially PATENT onrrcn.

JAMES A. BYnns, or CENTERVILLE, TENNESSEE.

TREADLE M 1 ,036,559. Specification of Application filed September 14, 1911.

ECHANISM.

Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 2'7, 1912.

Serial No. $49,310.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. Brnns, a citizen of the United States, and resident" of Centerville, in the county of Hickman and State of "Tennessee, have invented cer-. tain new and useful Improvements in Treadle Mechanism; andI do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon. v

This invention relates to treadlepower mechanism and is particularly designed for use in connection with sewing machines, although applicable to light power machines of any character, such as are adapted to be where driven with the operator seated.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple arrangement with \Vl llCl'l the power will be economized, dead centers, to alarge extent, eliminated, and the strains practically all transmitted from the trcadle to the crank shaft as tension strains in thoconnccting; rods in contradistinction to com' pression or thrust strains.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a View looking at the front of a sewing machine table and a treadle mechanism embodying the present improvement; Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation showing the treadlc mechanism and crank shaft separate from the table frame.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts. i

In said drawings, the letter A indicates a, sewing machine table of ordinary construction, having legs B, and (3 indicates the usual belt and fly wheel, which, in the present instance however, is preferably; mounted on a crank shaft D jonrnaled in bearings ll depending from the machine table, in order that lllG crank shaft may have a crank at each end. The cranks on the shaft, indicated by the letter G, are set in opposite relation to each other. In the lower portion ot' the machine frame there is pivotally mounted a trcadle composed of two sections it and ll, the section ll projecting forwardly of the axis, and the section ll rearwardly thereof. These two sections are free to swing upwardly imlependcnlly of each other, but are preferably provided with downwardly extending projections h which Will limit or prevent their independentdownwardly swinging movements. In other words, the pro ections will prevent the two treadle sections from assuming an angular position with relation to each other, be-

low the medial line, but will permitthem to assume an angular position with relation to each other above said line. The outer ends or portions of the trcadle sections are connected with the cranks of the crank shaft, the section H being connected by a connecting rod I with one crank, and the section H by a connecting rod I with the other crank. The two connecting rods, it will be noted from Fig, 2, diverge from the crank shaft to the treadle sections, and, owing to the separation of their lower ends, the dead centers of each crank with relation to its connecting rod and treadle section is displaced angularly around the crank shaft. with relation to the dead center of the other crank. Owing to this condition it is practically impossible for the shaft to stop on a dead center or in a position in which it cannot be started by pressure dowmvardly upon-one or the other of the treadle sections.

In operation, during each complete revolution of the crank shaft, the treadle sections move angularly with relation to each other, and hence they may be mounted upon a fixed axis, such, for instance, as the usual cross rod fonnd at the bottom of sewing machine table frames. With a trcadle mechanism of this character, the driving effort of the operator is practically alla downward pressure, first on one section of the treadle and then on the other; there are no thrust strains imposed upon the connecting rods; and the treadlc sections are each supported at the front and rear edges so that. there is little danger of said parts being broken.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is;

1. In a t-readle mechanism such as described, the coi'nbinat-ion with a crank shaft having oppositely disposed cranks thereon, of separate treadlc sections pivot-ally supported at thcir proximateedges and projecting in opposite directions from their axis, and connecting; rods connected directly to the outer ends of the treadlc sections and respective cranks whereby said treadlc sections may assume different angular positions with relation to each other. during the rotation of the crank shaft.

2. In a treadle mechanism such as descrihed, the cou'ihination with a crank shaft treadle sections are free to assume different angular positions with relation to each other during the rotation of the crank shaft.

3. In a treadle mechanism such as described, the combination with the crank shafts having oppositely disposed cranks thereon, of the separate treadle sections pivotally mounted on a common axis at their proximate edges and projecting in opposite directions thorcl'rmn and having downwardly extending projections for limiting their relative angular position in a downward direction, and connecting rods connected directly to the free outer enclsof said treadle sections andv respective cranks, the arrangement being such that the treadle sections may assume different angular positions with relation to each other during the rota- 1 tion of the crank shaft. 7

JAMES A. BYERS. Witnesses: i

J. J. CRAIG, V R. I CPATH. 

